Sweet Filthy Wolf
by BabyDolles
Summary: "The beast inside of him wants to fuck your brains out." 17-year-old Rileigh has lost everything when she moves to Forks, Washington. Let's see what happens when she meets Embry Call, who's half-blind since a tragic accident. Drama/Angst. OOC/OC/ANC/AH/Bella bashing.
1. Preface

**Warning: Strong language. Drama. Abuse. I do not own Twilight, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.**

 **"If I can't be beautiful, I want to be invisible." Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters**

My hand touched my bloody lips, my fingertips grazing the soft skin there. I made a soft noise of pain. The air was filled with the revolting stench of fresh vomit as I put a hand on my brother's shoulder. We had been in this secluded motel for three weeks now, and Ethan had gotten drunk every night. A faint sigh that escaped my lips broke the silence in the bathroom.

"I'm sorry, Leigh. I never wanted this bastard to touch you in that bar." Ethan's voice faltered when he threw up a huge amount again. I watched him silently. I could never accuse him of anything. After all, he was the only reason I was still alive. The blowing strands of my dark hair tickled my cheek as I leaned forward. He had to know that it wasn't his fault. None of this. Ethan's injuries were worse than expected, and he cursed softly under his breath. The wound on his shoulder had reopened again and blood came out of his mouth.

"Let me help you," I said before my hands wandered to his dark sweater, which was soaked in blood.

"I know you're in there, stupid bitch." Greg's deep voice startled me and Ethan for a split second. I couldn't believe he found us again. Someone must have betrayed us. Never before had I seen such an expression of fear in Ethan's eyes.

"Here, take this and go." Ethan grabbed a shabby bag next to the old bed before he dragged me to the window. I knew it couldn't be opened and stared at Ethan. A deep sigh later I made a decision. I jumped through the window. The jagged edges of glass cut deep into my flesh, but I ignored the pain, because the taste of freedom was already on my lips. I landed with my back on the grass in front of Barney's motel. I breathed deeply, my body and limbs stiff. I raised my gaze, and I could see Greg at the motel window. He let a self-derogatory smile play over his lips before he grabbed Ethan's arm and twisted it. Even as the bone pierced his skin Ethan didn't make a sound.

A whimper escaped my mouth, and my jaw tightened. It had been a mistake to leave Ethan alone. Greg wouldn't spare him this time. Without wasting another second, I grabbed Ethan's bag and pressed it tightly against my body. A cold shiver went down my spine. Not really surprising though. I only wore dark sweatpants, a top and converse shoes. I was thinking about what was going to happen now, but there was only one thing I was sure of. Greg was going to pay for what he had done to us.


	2. Escape

****Come on guys I know you can do it. Vote or leave a message. Thank's for reading my story.****

 ** **Forks, Washington****

 ** **September 2015****

An icy shudder ran down my spine as I let my gaze drift around the small room. I was still a bit stunned.

"I know, it's not much, but I hope you like it." Uncle Charlie had a sharp frown on his face as he came in the guest room. He dropped my bad to the ground and sighed deeply.

"It's great, thanks, Charlie." I spun around with a straight smile.

"No problem, kiddo. I know you must be tired. Are you certain you need to be alone now?" I nodded my head. Yes. I was pretty tired and needed to be alone. Of course, I would never tell him the truth. It would only make things worse.

"Hey, if you want you can wait until Bella gets back," said Charlie.

"I don't know." Bella and I hadn't been best buddies since the accident happened.

"Oh, come on. She wants to see you again," said Uncle Charlie.

"Are you positive? She never bothered to call."

"Don't worry, she didn't mean to hurt you." Charlie beamed at me with a pleading look in his eyes. I couldn't say no to him, not after what he had done for me even though his daughter had called me a selfish bitch.

"Fine, I'll be downstairs in a few minutes," I said.

"Take your time, kid. There's no need to rush anything. Bella won't be back until 9." Finally, I nodded. Charlie then shot me another look before he left me alone. I took a deep breath. This was my new life now. Carefully, I grabbed the shabby bag and put in on the small bed. It was all I had and I wasn't too proud of it. I would never admit it, but I still had nightmares. I sighed deeply as I closed my eyes for a fleeting moment before I left the guest room.

"Do you like pizza? I thought it would be nice to have dinner together." Charlie asked when he saw me in the living room. I nodded my head. Yes. I really wanted to thank him for everything.

"Good. Do you mind ordering pizza with extra cheese? The phone is in the kitchen." I shook my head slightly. Uncle Charlie smiled at me before I turned on my heel. It was dark and I was about to turn on the light in the kitchen when a noise startled me. A boy, no man, stood in the kitchen. His short, dark hair stood up in all directions and his dark eyes searched mine. His gaze was so intense that I almost forgot how to breathe. I let out a loud scream when he touched my arm rather tenderly. Another yell escaped from my mouth as I struggled against him.

"Don't touch me." I slapped his hand away, cursing under my breath. Who was he? And what was he doing in Charlie's house? I could see that he was troubled and then the back door opened. Bella walked inside with a frown on her face when she noticed me.

"What are you doing with my fiancé?"

"Rileigh, what are you doing?" Charlie asked as soon as he entered the cozy kitchen.

"You know him?" My voice was low, and I was kind of irritated. I didn't dare to look at the strange boy again.

"Yes. His name is Edward," said Uncle Charlie. His daughter then raised her voice at him.

"Dad, what's she doing here? I thought I had another week?"

"Rileigh called yesterday. I forgot to tell you." Bella's face fell for a moment. She really did mind that I was there.

"Great."

"Rileigh is staying in the guest room until I say otherwise."

"Of course she's staying there, but why is she even here?" said Bella.

"We already talked about this, Bella." Uncle Charlie let out a deep sigh.

"No, we didn't. She shows up at our house as if she owns it. Have you seen her face? No wonder she has no friends." My breath caugh for a long moment. I still had a purple bruise on my cheek. Charlie had asked me what happened and I, as always, lied to him.

"That's enough, Bella. I don't want to hear another word from you," said Charlie.

"Edward, let's go to my room." The man, Edward, followed her like a lost puppy. I had never seen a man behaving like this.

"I don't know what has gotton into her, Rileigh. I'll talk to her, don't worry." Charlie turned on his heel to follow his daughter, but I grabbed his hand.

"No, don't do that, Charlie. It's alright."

"Are you sure?" he asked. I nodded slowly even though I was holding back tears.

"Come on, let's order some pizza." Charlie put an arm around my shoulder as he reached for the phone with his other Hand. The light was blinding my eyes when Uncle Charlie and I sat in the kitchen, waiting for our Pizza

"Tell me everything? How is your brother?" My face went pale. I hadn't really thought about the possibility that he would ask about him as I had been too busy to escape.

"He's actually pretty good, Charlie. He goes to University in Alabama."

"Alabama? How did he end up there, kid?"

"I really don't know, Charlie. He just said he wanted to go there and that's what he did," I said. Uncle Charlie's eyes became wide. Then he raised an eyebrow.

"And he left you on your own?"

"What, no. Of course not. I could've gone with him, but I didn't want to move to Alabama."

"And that's how you landed here," said Charlie. I nodded silently.

"Yeah, that's why I'm in Forks."

"Well, I don't judge you, kiddo. I would prefer Forks over Alabama any day, too."

"Have you ever been there?" I asked. I realized that I didn't really know anything about Charlie.

"Yeah, a few times when I was a teenager myself. Not the best of my memories, you know. I got arrested there with your aunt."

"Really? What would you do?" I asked. Now I was really intrigued, but Charlie just shook his head, saying it didn't matter anymore.

"There are things in my life I'm not proud of, kid." All of the sudden I got really nervous. I hated that I couldn't tell him the truth. I had no idea where my brother was or if he was safe. I felt horrible. Charlie cleared his throat when he noticed that I was deep in thoughts.

"I'm sorry about Bella. I'm sure she didn't mean to be rude to you."

"I told you. It's fine, Charlie. I just can't believe that she's engaged." I thought I heard him mutter "me neither", but I couldn't be sure.

"I take it you don't like him?" I was a little confused. Charlie was the kind of guy that liked everyone. It would be the first time that he disliked someone.

"It's not like that, Rileigh. Not at all. I just had a bad feeling about him and his family, that's all."

"Bad feeling?" I grabbed the coffee mug, taking a sip from it.

"I know, it might sound weird, but sometimes I think that he's not quite human, if that doesn't even make sense." I gulped hard, spitting some coffee on the table. I quickly apolized. I had no idea what I should say to him. I didn't even know this Edward.

"It's the way he speaks sometimes. Like he wasn't born in this century. It's the same with his family."

"Have you ever talked to Bella about it?" Charlie let out a deep chuckle. I stared at him for a long time, silently mouthing "What"?

"Bella is in love with this boy, Rileigh. She would never listen to me," he said. Just as I was about to say something, the doorbell rang.

"I guess our pizza is here," said Charlie, carefully getting up from his chair. I followed him, not saying another word. There was only one thought on my mind. Who was Edward Cullen? And why didn't my uncle trust him? I gusse I was going to find out during my stay in Forks. Charlie opened the front door slowly.

"Good evening, Chief Swan." I could hear a deep voice and was nervous all over again.

"Eric, I had no idea that you would be delievering our pizza," said my uncle. Now I was really irritated. He knew that boy?

"It's just a summer job, sir. You know, I'm saving money for a car." Charlie nodded, taking the pizza box in his hand. He then handed him the money he had taken from his wallet.

"That's good. Come inside, boy. Bella's upstairs with Edward."

"Oh, I don't want to intrude, sir," said the boy while Charlie just shook his head. The boy sighed, but then decided to enter the house.

"I'm in a rush anyway, sir," said the boy whose name was Eric. I didn't know why, but I had this really bad feeling about this guy. He was an Asian guy with a pale face. His hair stood up in all direction and he wore yellow clothes paired with white sneakers. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't look away from him. I just go a bad vibe from him.

"Rileigh, this is Eric Yorkie. He's Bella's friend. Eric, this is my niece, Rileigh. She will stay with me and Bella for a while." Eric greeted me with a soft smile on his face, but I didn't return his eagerness. His dark eyes bore into mine for a moment. My heart was racing. I swallowed hard, the tiny hairs on my body tingling.

"Are your parents still out of town?" Charlie asked. He didn't notice the heat in his gaze, but I did. My eyes widened.

"No, sir. They got back today. You know, school starts in a few day."

"Ah, senior year. Your parents must be proud of you." It was obvious that something was off about Eric, and then his whole demeanor changed.

"I'm sure they're, sir." Finally, his lazy gaze strayed over her and focused on Charlie. I stayed there, still unsure what was happening. Who was he? And why was he looking at us with as if he was in some kind of pain? I shook my head ever so slightly, trying my best to ignore him. It wasn't long before Charlie bid him goodbye. I almost let out a sigh of relief, but I felt Eric's stare on me before he said in a really low voice that he was going to see me again soon. My whole body trembled when he eventually turned around.

"What are you thinking about, kid?" Charlie asked as soon as he had closed the front door.

"Nothing. It's nothing, Charlie. Let's just eat, okay." Charlie nodded after a moment of hesitation. I would never say it aloud, but Eric Yorkie had scared me. That night I couldn't sleep. Thoughts of Ethan's dead body were on my mind. His body was covered in blood and mud. I opened my eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

"Edward, stop it! Please."

"Stay away from him, Bella. He's dangerous and has no control over himself right now." My hands were shaking like crazy when I put the blanket away. It was like an Intuition to leave the bed and see what was going on. The door to Bella's room was open, and I could see her sitting on her bed.

"What do you mean you didn't get him? You had one task, Jacob, and you failed?" For a fleeting Moment I was confused. What was Edward still doing here? I thought he had left?

"It's not like that, Cullen. You're no better than I." I didn't regognize this voice.

"Be careful how you talk to me, mutt."

"Or what? What will you gonna do to me, Cullen? You've no chance against me."

"Both of you stop it," said Bella, getting up from the bed.

"Jake, you should leave now. Edward will stay with me."

"I won't leave you alone with him, Bella," said the man whose name I assumed was Jacob. It wasn't long before Bella felt my presense.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice dripping hate like icicles.

"Rileigh, get away from here," said Edward. The other man made a step towards me. I backed away slowly.

"Jacob, stop. She's my cousin." The man stared at me for a long time. He was shirtless showing off his rippling six-pack and bulging biceps.

"Your cousin?" he asked. Bella nodded her head. His tanned face held no emotion as he spoke his next words.

"Well, Bella's cousin. You should leave now. This has nothing to do with you."

"He's right, Rileigh. Just go back to your room and leave me the hell alone," said Bella. Both man froze. They were probably as much irritated as I was. Carefully, I went back to the guest room. I had a really hard time to hold back tears. It was worse then I had expected. Bella wasn't just selfish, no, she hated everything about me and that hurt me more than I would ever admit to myself. The next morning I was laying in bed when I heard Uncle Charlie's voice.

"What do you mean he stayed overnight? We talked about this, Bella."

"He's my fiancé, Dad. I think he can stay with me for one night, don't you think?" I covered my ears with my hands. I really didn't want to listen to their argument. Bella had made it pretty clear that she didn't want anything to do with me. Almost an hour later I finally felt good enough to leave the bed. I stretched my arms before grabbing my Jeans and a dark hoodie. I took a deep breath before I opened the door. Hopefully I wouldn't run into Bella on my way downstairs. Uncle Charlie greeted me with a smile on his face when he saw me entering the kitchen.

"Rileigh, there you are," he said. I gave a nod.

"You remember Billy Black and his son Jacob, right?" As soon as I heard the name Jacob I went still. Wasn't he the guy that had been with Bella and Edward last night?

"I think I remember Billy. He's in a wheelchair, right?" My uncle nodded. I grabbed a mug from the cupboard.

"Yeah, that's him. He invited us for dinner in La Push. You don't have to come with me, but I would really like to catch up with him."

"Sure, I will go with you. Should be fun." That was a lie. I didn't even know the meaning of the word fun. I hadn't had the best memories, and I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed. I didn't mean the fake laugh, no. I meant a real laugh.

"Great. I told him about you. He and the guys are really excited to finally meet you, kid."

"Guys?" My eyes got wide.

"Yeah, his son and some of his friends. I hope you don't mind. They're the same age as you, and some of them are just a few years older than you," he said while I was busy to pour myself some coffee. Only then did I notice that he was looking at me like he wanted to say something important, but was too afraid to do so. I faced him with a blank face.

"What is it, Charlie?"

"I must warn you though. You don't want to mess with those kids. Stay only with Jacob, Billy and me." I stared at Charlie slightly perplexed.

"Why are we going there if you don't like them?"

"Billy invited them, not me. I can't tell him what to do in his own house, kiddo. If we're lucky you'll not even meet them."

"Maybe I shouldn't go, Charlie," I said, taking a huge sip from the mug in my hands.

"It will be fine, Rileigh. Nothing will happen to you, but if you ever meet Sam Uley, you've to tell me, okay? He's not a good man. I believe he's doing drugs and other illegal things. He even has his own gang. I've no idea why Jacob is a member of this gang, but I trust Billy to do the right thing." My eyes fluttered shut for a second. I didn't want anything to do with a gang. God, I had thought Forks and La Push didn't have any gangs, and suddenly I didn't feel safe anymore.

I excused myself after we had breakfast together and went upstairs. I needed to think about everything. What would happen if I ever met this so called gang? And why didn't Charlie do anything? He was the Sheriff after all. He should arrest them, if they were really doing drugs, but there was no evidence. Carefully, I sat down on the cold floor. Maybe, just maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to come to Forks? Tears streamed down my face, and then my phone rang. I grabbed it immediately, recognizing the number.

"Ethan?" I said. A small smile playes on my lips. He was finally calling me after four long weeks.

"Yeah, it's me, Leighe," said my brother.

"Where are you? Are you hurt? When can I see you?" I asked, not caring that Charlie would hear me.

"Whoa, slow down. I'm fine I'm in Wisconsin with Jimmy. You remember him, right?" How could I ever forget Jimmy Adams.

"Yeah, I know who he is, but why are you with him and not with me in Forks?"

"Trust me, I would come to you, but it's not safe yet. If Greg finds us again, he won't hesitate to kill us both." I let out a sigh. Of course. Greg.

"Listen, I've to go now. I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay for now," said Ethan. I was about to ask him when I would see him again, but he had already ended the call.

"Who was on the phone?" Charlie came into the guest room. I wasn't sure if I should tell him the truth, but decided to trust him. There was no way I could get away with another lie.

"Ethan?" I said thought it came out as a question.

"How is he doing in College?"

"He's fine, Charlie," I said in a tone that suggested I didn't want to talk about Ethan anymore.

"When are we going to leave?"

"Right now, if you're ready? I know we'll be there early, but Billy won't mind. He lives alone with Jacob, and some company would do him good." I got up from the floor slowly, silently saying that it was okay to leave now. He must have noticed my worried expression because he whispered one more time that I had nothing to fear.


	3. Bad Feeling

To say that I was nervous would be an understatement. I had just gotton out of Charlie's old Ford, and my whole body was shaking from the cold weather. Charlie knocked on the door as we stood on the dirty front porch of Billy Black's home.

"Come on inside, guys. Jake's already here and he brought some of his friends along," said Billy. I swallowed hard. Great. Now I was really going to meet some gang members. Could this day get any weirder? Billy wheeled himself away to let us inside. I had always pitied him since the car accident that had killes his wife Sarah four years ago. It was still hard to believe that he was in a wheelchair because of a drunken driver who had been barely 18 by the time the accident happened. I saw Jacob leaning against the wall. I knew that I was being watched, and I didn't like that kind of feeling I got inside of me. I concentrated hard on something else.

"I will be back," said Charlie. He then went to greet the boys, but I stayed with Billy. I felt like an outsider, and the worst part was that I had a bad feeling about everything. I was silent when Jacob joined me and Billy. He cleared his throat to get my attention.

"You're Rileigh, right?"

"That's right, Jake. She's Charlie's niece, so be nice to her, boy." Billy let out a loud laugh, clapping his hands.

"Now, I think you've met before. Don't you remember, Jake? She visited Charlie quite often when she was younger."

"Yeah, you're that girl that always fell down the stairs," said Jacob. My mouth parted slightly. He remembered that? I had fallen down the stairs quite a lot when I was younger. I had been so clumsy that Charlie thought Ethan had something to do with it. I had gotten so angry that day when Uncle Charlie accused him of hurting me. Ethan would never lay a hand on me. Never in a million years. My eyes went wet with tears. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to leave. Now. I excused myself quickly, asking where the bathroom was.

"It's on the left side, the first door. You can't miss it, kid," said Billy. I thanked him before turning around. I had the feeling that they had seen my tears, but right now I couldn't care less. All that mattered to me was to get away from those memories. When I reached the bathroom I was surprised that someone was standing in front of it. He didn't make a sound, and I got even more curious. Who was this boy? Eventually I stared into his brown eyes, He smiled at me and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. His eyebrows furrowed and then he looked at me in an apparent mix of curiosity and confusion. He finally broke our motionless stare.

"Finally I got to meet you," said the guy.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"The name's Paul, babe." I was a bit startled when another guy appeared by my side.

"Is this fucker bothering you?" I was shocked that a boy no older than 15 talked that way. It wasn't long until I saw Charlie walking towards me. He had a deep frown on his face. Something was wrong.

"Charlie, what happened?" The guy whose name was Paul asked.

"I just got a call. There was another attack. Not far from here." I heard a few loud gasps, and the Jacob raised his voice.

"Attack?"

"Look, I shouldn't be talking about this with you. Just know that it's pretty bad. I need to leave for a few hours."

"I'll go with you," I said.

"Or you can stay here with Billy for the rest of the day. I'll be back in a few hours then we could go home."

"He's right, kid. It's too dangerous outside right now. You should stay here with my and the guys," said Billy.

"Rileigh, is this okay for you?" I looked around the room. Everybody was staring at me, leaving me no other choice but to agree. How was I going to survive this day without having Charlie by my side? I watched as Charlie left the house, closing the door behind him. I covered my face with my hands for a moment.

"Hey, where's Call?"

"He went over to Sam's," said Paul. The boy nodded, then his eyes met mine.

"So, will you attend the same school as your cousin?"

"Calm down, mate. She's not used to your eagerness yet, Brady. You're going to scare her." Even I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh, you think you're so funny, aren't you, Paul?"

"Actually, I think I'm hilarious."

"No fights in my house. You know the rules, boys." Billy wheeled over to us quickly.

"Sorry, Bill, but this was just too good to let it pass," said Paul. He laughed slightly wh a familiar voice startled me. Bella stormed into the house, screaming for Jacob's help. Her whole body was covered with dirty mud, and she had bloody scratched all over her pretty face. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"Bella, what the hell happened to you?" Jacob ran towards her. Billy shook his head as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Something was off about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Bella hugged Jacob close to her, and he lifted his arms slightly as if to return the hug. A moment later she noticed me. Her face held no emotion as she spoke to me.

"What's she doing here?" I knew that my cousin didn't really care about me, yet I find it hard to accept the truth. She still believed that it had been my fault that my parents died that fateful night.

"Jake, why is she here?"

"She has a name, you know," said Paul, surprising all of us with his demanding tone.

"Billy invited her. It wasn't my idea, Bella," said Jacob. I couldn't help but notice how nervous he was around her. I was pretty sure that he would do anything for her which was pretty weird because Bella was engaged to be married to another man.

"She should go. She isn't one of us," said Bella. My eyelids closed. I wasn't one of them? Billy let out a soft groan and crossed his arms across his muscular chest.

"Jacob, why don't you bring Bella to your room. You can talk there. Meanwhile, I'll take care of Rileigh. "

"Whatever you say, Dad," replied his son. Carefully, he grabbed Bella's hand and gently interwined his fingers with hers. I looked around the room. None of the guys seemed to be surprised about his behavior even though Bella had a fiancé.

"Come, you have to tell me what happened to you." A warm shiver went down my spine when I heard Jacob's voice. It was full of desire and longing for a woman who would never belong to him. Bella nodded before she let him lead her to his room. I, on the other hand, stared after them with dark glassy eyes. What was going on? Paul chuckled lowly.

"Ten bucks they're fucking each other."

"20 bucks she sucks his dick." Billy glared at Paul and Brady while I just stood there, still wondering what Bella and Jacob were doing in his room. Billy then raised his voice.

"Rileigh, would you join me outside?" he asked. I nodded silently. Everything was better than hearing Paul and Brady betting on Bella's love life.

"Come on then," he said. He wheeled himself over to the door, opening it with his hand. He then looked over his shoulder and shouted "Don't even think about it, guys". I followed him outside, breathing in the fresh air. He sighed deeply before looking straight at me.

"I know it looks bad, kid." I agreed with him. It was really odd that my cousin and Jacob were this close. If I didn't know any better I would think they were a couple madly in love.

"You've to understand that Jacob would never do anything to hurt Bella. It all began when Edward left Bella two years ago."

"He left her?" Billy nodded his head.

"Yes. It was a horrible sight when Sam finally found her alone in the woods. Charlie had been so worried about her." My eyes got wide. Wait a minute? Sam as in Sam Uley?

"Bella and Jacob weren't really friends two years ago, but then everything changed. He was her rock, and she became his world."

"Do you think he loves her?" I asked.

"Do I think my son loves Bella Swan? You already know the answer to that, Rileigh. But I also know that she'll never be the one for him." I stared at Billy. Why would he think that Bella wasn't the one for his son when he was clearly crazy for her?

"There are things you might never understand, kid," he said. I shivered from the cold, and Billy noticed.

"Are you cold? Let's get back inside. God knows what the boys are doing right now," said Billy. I laughed, but I find myself nodding my head. Maybe, just maybe, this day wouldn't be that dreadful after all.

"What were you talking about, Bill?" asked Paul when we came back inside.

"Nothing that concerns your attention, boy," said Billy. Paul began muttering something that sounded a lot like "Suit yoursel, old man", but it was completely ignored as soon as we heard a soft moan coming from Jacob's room. At least I thought it was his room.

"What do you think they're doing, Paul?" In that moment Brady looked way too serious for his age. It was Billy who answered him.

"We can only guess what they're doing, kid." I blinked, quite understanding the anger in his voice.

"It seemed nothing much has changed. You owe me 10, Brads," said Paul. His face then turned scarlet and he balled his hands into fists.

"I know we always made fun of this, but we should end this now. I had no idea that Jake would actually be stupid enough to do this." He slammed his fists on the small table in the living room. I backed away slowly, looking for an escape. So this was what Charlie had been talking about. They were really in a gang, and it looks like they wouldn't mind hurting people.

"Cullen is an idiot if he thinks that Jacob will do nothing do ruin the wedding." Everybody agreed, including Billy. A sickening crash followed by another moan echoed through the house. Billy shook his head. Was he really that upset? He wasn't the one to blame, it was his son. The boy, Brady, was shaking with rage.

"We need to do something, like now, Billy. If the Cullens ever find out about this, they'll rip us all apart." Billy shot me a nervous look. We could hear him breathe now, for he breathed heavily, as if he had been running for hours. My heart was beating fast against my chest when the front door opened.

"What's going on here?"

"Jared, my man. Glad you're back. We need your help," said Paul.

"Jacob's fucking Bella in his room, and we decided that we need to do something about him. Are you in?"

"Boys, we don't know for sure if he's making love with Isabella in his room," said Billy.

"Of course he is, open your eyes, Bill. This chick might be annoying, but even I can't deny that she's fucking hot."

"Watch your mouth in my house, Paul," said Billy. I decided to step aside. I didn't know what those guys were capable of, and to be honest, I had a really bad feeling about all of this.

"My son would never sleep with an engaged woman."

"Don't you see that you're wrong, Bill. We all know that he's in love with her, and he would do anything for her." I stared at my hands. Were they really going to fight over this?

"Paul, calm down before you do something you might regret later," said Brady. Finally someone with brains. Paul glared at him.

"Shut your stupid mouth, mutt. You haven't even had your first kiss yet. You shouldn't be here right now." Brady growled at him while I was still trying to figure out what was going on. I dared to cast a glance at Jared. His eyes were shut tightly for a fleeting moment, and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. He then leaned forward, bracing his hands on Brady's chest.

They were shouting at each other, and then the door to Jacob's room opened. Bella stepped outside with a frown on her face. Her face was soaked in sweat, and she only wore a dark shirt that barely covered her legs. What had she done?

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?" Bella asked, glaring at me.

"Where's Jacob?" asked Billy.

"In his room. Said he would join us in five." My cousin couldn't hide her discomfort. Paul then decided to speak up. His tone was mocking.

"So, what happened to you, Isabella?" he asked.

"Can we not talk about it in front of her?" said Bella. Hearing the hate in her voice directed at me hurt.

"I understand," said Billy. I had enough.

"Billy, it was nice seing you again," I said before making my way towards the front door. I didn't have a car, so I would just call Charlie later to pick me up. Right now I just had to leave this place.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Home. Obviously I am no longer welcome here."

"Wait, don't go just yet," said Brady while Paul sighed softly beside him.

"Rileigh, why don't you sit down in the kitchen. I will join you soon," said Paul. I knew that I had to make a choice, and unfortunately I decided to stay. Slowly, I went to kitchen. I took a deep breath before finally sitting down on an old leather chair. Paul soon joined me.

"What's up with you and your cousin?" he asked, sitting down on the chair beside me.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, her. You must have done something horrible to make her hate you like this."

"She doesn't hate me," I said. Paul raised an eyebrow.

"You sure about that?"

"I'm not sure why she doesn't like me. She doesn't like my brother as well."

"Brother? Billy never mentioned him, and your cousin doesn't talk about you at all. That's because she's too busy ruining Jacob's life."

"Does that mean you don't like her?"

"Hell, yes. I'll tell you that she's a crazy bitch. The first time we met she slapped me in the face. So, no, I really don't like her." My eyes went wide.

"What about the others?" I asked.

"Jake's the only one who likes her. Not even Billy can hide the dislike he felt towards her. She's a stupid bitch, if you ask me," said Paul. I shut my eyes. At least I wasn't the only one that had a bad feeling about Bella's behavior. The whole time I felt his stare. It was powerful enough to let me forget about Bella for a moment.

"Hey, how long will you stay with Charlie?" Paul asked suddenly. Just as I was about to answer, Jacob came back from his room. His hair stood up in all directions, and he only wore a sweatpants. I could see that Billy was furious, and he wasn't the only one.

"What have you done, boy?"

"What's up with you, Dad?"

"Isabella, I think you should go now," said Billy.

"What? She only got here, Dad. Don't you think you're overreacting a bit?" Jacob's face paled.

"Bella, you know where the door is. I'm sure you can call Edward to pick you up."

"Dad, you can't do that."

"It's fine, Jake. I wanted to go anyway," Bella said.

"I'll go with you."

"No, you won't. You're needed here, Jacob," said Billy. Bella was beyond mad. She stormed into Jacob's room. Brady wanted to follow her, but Jacob stopped him.

"She's only getting her clothes, Brads." He then turned away from the younger boy to face his father.

"Dad, I'm telling you. I haven't done anything wrong. We were just talking." Paul wasn't buying it.

"So she moans while talking to you?" he asked.

"She's hurt, idiot. I treated her wounds, that's where the noise was coming from." Paul fell silent.

"Seriously, I don't know what your problem is, dude. Bella hasn't done anything wrong." I couldn't hold back my anger anymore. I snorted.

"What's your problem?" asked Jacob.

"Nothing. It's nothing," I said.

"Good. You should be thankful to have a cousin like Bella. She's only helping you, you know." My jaw dropped open. Bella was helping me? Since when? Paul noticed my discomfort and laid a hand on my arm.

"I'll leave with Bella. That's final."

"You won't leave this house, boy."

"Watch me, Dad." Bella came back, now dressed in her own clothes. She shot me look before grabbing Jacob's hand. She lead him to the front door and opened it. Jacob slammed the door behind him. Billy shouted after him, but it was too late. He was already gone. I was still trying to hide my shock when Billy spoke to me.

"I don't know what has gotten into your cousin, but I'm sorry for all the drama." I knew he meant Jacob, and, to be honest, I didn't really know what to think of him.

"Maybe I should leave, too. I'm sure Charlie will pick me up if I call him and explain things." A loud growl made my whole body shiver. All eyes were on me. I couldn't move, What was I supposed to do now? Should I really stay with them?

"Just stay until Charlie gets back, okay," said Paul. Eventually, I find myself nodding my head.

"Just until Charlie gets back," I said. Billy sighed and wheeled himself out of the living room.

"Don't worry about him. Billy has a hard time, you know. Jake's not himself anymore," said Paul. We heard him wheeling himself to the bathroom, then shouted something over his shoulder.

"Will somebody please follow my son?" he said, glaring at the boys. Brady was the first to answer. He went to open the front door and stepped outside. Billy slammed the bathroom door behind him, leaving me alone with Paul. I had no idea what to do now. I just kept staring at my shaking hands. About five minutes later my uncle stormed into the house. His whole body trembled, and he had a few bruises on his cheek. Paul stepped towards him and spoke in a low voice.

"What happened to you, Charlie?"

"Rileigh, we need to leave. Now," said Charlie. Billy came back to the living room, looking quite of pale it this was even possible.

"Charlie, tell me what happened?"

"It was an attack in the woods, Billy. It was bad. They're all dead," said Charlie. I gasped loudly. No, this couldn't be real, right?

"What do you mean they're all dead?" asked Paul.

"It's like I said, boy. Three men were killed. I was just lucky to get away."

"What did you see?" asked Billy.

"I saw claws and blood. A lot of blood. I got hit by something and when I woke up, everyone was dead or missing." Paul stared at Charlie, then asked him another question.

"Claws? Are you sure that's what you've seen?"

"I'm quite sure, boy." This time I couldn't stop myself and spoke for the first time since Charlie came back.

"What were you doing in the woods?"

"We got a call that something was wrong. It was said that there were two bodies."

"What are you going to do now?" I asked.

"We've to find Bella. I don't think she's in danger, but we can't be sure about that."

"Charlie, she just left with Jacob," said Billy. Uncle Charlie was silent for a few seconds.

"You let her leave with him?"

"We tried to stop him, Charlie. We really tried," said Paul.

"It's not your fault, boy. I just want her to be safe." We all nodded in understanding. It was quite obvious that he loved Bella very much, and sometimes I wished that I had someone like him in my life. Someone who would do anything to keep me alive. Ethan was my brother and I loved him, but I always felt like that something was missing.

"We need to go now, Rileigh. I wish we could stay longer, but we've to find Bella," said Charlie. I nodded slowly while turning to face Paul.

"If you must, Charlie. But you're always welcome here." Billy turned to me.

"Both of you." I thanked him silently. Charlie took my hand in his and lead me to the front door. I looked back at Paul and Billy, shaking my head. Something was really weird about them, and I was going to find out what it was.

"I'm sorry about this. I should've stayed with you from the beginning," said Charlie as we walked outside Billy's house.

"It's not your fault, Charlie. I'm fine, and Bella will be, too."

"I just don't know what do to anymore, you know." He opened the passenger door for me. I silently thanked him and got into the car. He tilted his head for just a few moments before he moved to get inside the car.

"Are you sure it was Jacob Black that left with her?" Charlie put his shaking hands on the steering wheel. After several attempts to start it, the engine finally sputtered to life.

"Yeah, I saw them leaving together," I answered when we left the property.

"She should know better," said Charlie. I had a pretty good guess what he was trying to say. My cousin shouldn't have left with Jacob.

"We need to find her. It's too dangerous outside until we find the beast that killed those people." I nodded though my inner voice was telling me that it would take a while before we would find her.

"Where are we going anyway?" I asked.

"I'm taking you home, maybe Bella's already there. If she's not there, I'll call Edward," said Charlie. I bobbed my head. I knew that he was only taking care of me, but he wasn't he only one worried about Bella. What if she and Jacob had gone into the woods? There was a wild beast looking for his next victim and it could very well be them.

"Are you okay, kid? You look so pale?"

"I already told you that I'm fine, Charlie. Don't worry about me. We should just find Bella," I said, turning my head aside. My uncle muttered in a quiet voice that I was right.

 ** **Don't forget to leave a message. It would mean the world to me. Thanks for reading my story.****


	4. Edward Cullen

"Did you find her?" I shook my head as I entered the kitchen. No. It was kind of obvious that Bella wasn't at home. We would've found her by now if she wasn't in the house.

"Did you call Edward?" His name sounded so weird on my tongue, but oh well. He was soon going to be part of my family. So I better get used to his name. Charlie nodded his head saying that he had called him.

"Does he know where she is?" I asked.

"He had an idea. He wasn't telling me anything, he just hung up." My uncle's face didn't show any sign of anger, but I knew him better than that. He wore a mask, and only people who got to know him better knew that he was an expert at hiding his true feelings.

"Can I asked you something?" Charlie turned to me.

"What did happen in the woods?" My hands were shaking like crazy when I saw the look in his eyes. It was a bad idea to ask.

"It's okay if you don't wanna talk about it."

"It's not that I don't trust you, kid. It's just that I shouldn't be talking to you about something like that." He sighed.

"You're barely 17, Rileigh. 17. Do you know what that means?" He walked around the small kitchen.

"You're still a kid, just like Bella. You should have fun. Go out with boys and concentrate on school. You shouldn't be talking with your uncle about a beast that ripped people apart, killing them without mercy." My lips formed a straight line, and I had no clue what to say next. Thankfully we heard the front door opening. Charlie left he room to see who it was. I didn't follow him.

"Where have you been?" Now Charlie was showing his anger, and it wasn't directed at me.

"I was with Jake," said my cousin.

"I must apologize, Chief Swan. I found Jacob and Bella in the woods. It was reckless and it will never happen again. You've my promise." I closed my eyes when I heard the soft voice. Of course Edward would be with her.

"Say goodbye to Edward and go to your room. You're grounded," said Charlie.

"What? Are you seriously mad at me?"

"You've never seen me really mad, Bella. Now, bid goodbye to Edward." I was kind of curious what would happen next and went to join them at the front door. I was greeted by Bella's furious glare.

"What are you looking at?" she asked. Her fiancé placed a hand on her arm.

"Love, calm down. She's not doing anything."

"Right. She better not get in my way," said Bella. Charlie then had enough of her behavior.

"Enough with this nonsense. You should leave now, Edward."

"I apologize again, Chief. It wasn't Bella's fault though. Jacob forced her to the woods with him." I blinked several times. Why would Jacob force her into the woods with him?

"I appreciate your concern, boy. But I must ask you to leave my house now."

"Of course," said Edward. He faced Bella with a slight smile on his face before placing his lips on hers. Charlie looked away while I couldn't help but stare at the Young couple. Edward then broke the kiss.

"Until tomorrow, love." He nodded at my uncle and I before leaving the house. Charlie closed the door behind him. I thought he was going to say something, but he just walked away. Bella soon went upstairs, leaving me on my own.

Hours later I found myself in the guestroom. My eyes were half-closed as I stared at the ceiling. Neither Charlie nor Bella had talked to me after the incident with Edward. I tiptoed to the door, opening it. I wasn't surprised to find Bella's door open. Carefully, I headed towards her room.

"Are you sure it was a vampire?" Vampire?

"Bella, I saw it, okay. Also Brady killed one of them," said Jacob.

"Why are they here? They're aren't like Edward and his family."

"We don't know what they want in Forks," said Jacob.

"But I'll always protect you and Charlie. You should know that. But what about your cousin?"

"She has no idea what's going on, but I think that Charlie's going to be a problem. He knows something, but he won't tell me anything."

"Wait, he knows something?"

"Yeah, I heard him talking on the phone. He said he saw a man with claws and sharp teeth in woods."

"When was that?"

"Two weeks ago," said Bella.

"That's really going to be a problem. Anyway, I need to now."

"Please, be careful."

"I will always be come back to you," said the teenager with a slight smirk, and then he disappeared through the window. My breath caught. Vampires? Man with sharp teeth and claws? I shook my head ever so slightly. There was clearly something terribly wrong with this town, and I wasn't sure if I ever wanted to find out what it was. Slowly, I headed back to the guestroom while trying my best to forget what I had just heard.

It was almost six am when I saw Bella the next time. Charlie was making coffee and she was standing next to him in the kitchen.

"Why can't I go to Jake, Dad? You don't understand. It's important that I see him later."

"I already told you that you're grounded. You're only allowed to leave this house for school," said my uncle.

"Please, Dad. It's urgent. I need to see if he's okay."

"You only saw him yesterday, kiddo. I'm sure he's fine, but if you worry so much about him you can call him later." Charlie then noticed me and greeted me with a friendly smile.

"Rileigh, I wanted to talk to you," he said while I grabbed a mug from the cupboard.

"You'll start school tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" He nodded.

"Bella will drive you to school. She can help you with everything." My cousin almost choked on an apple.

"Dad, I can't drive her." The look in his eyes dared her to defy him.

"Edward's going to pick me up," said Bella, turning away from him. She shoot me an annoying look before leaving the kitchen. Well, that went better than expected, I thought sarcastically. Charlie stared at me with a worried expression on his face, and all of the sudden I felt kind of pathetic. He opened his mouth and moved towards me, but a loud knock on the front door stopped in dead in his tracks. Another knock and he was gone to answer the door. I followed him.

"Paul Lahote, what are you doing here, boy?" Charlie looked the boy up and down.

"It's Billy. He's sick and wants to see you." His voice was very low. Charlie didn't believe him neither did I.

"He's sick? I just saw him yesterday. Why are you really here, kid?" I could see the fear in Paul's eyes as soon as our eyes locked.

"Rileigh, why don't you go back to the kitchen. I will take care of this," said Charlie. I didn't want to leave, but one look at Paul's face changed my mind. I shouldn't talk or even look at him.

"I don't know why you're here, but I warn you. Stay away from my niece and daughter." Paul's eyes widened a bit and then Charlie closed the door in his face.

"This boy must have lost his mind if he thinks that he's welcome in my house."

"Why do you hate him?" I asked Charlie.

"I don't hate him, kid. I just don't trust him. That's a difference." He sighed deeply.

"Look, I've arrested him and Embry Call for more times than I can 're bad news, kiddo. I don't know who's worse. Him or that Call kid," was all my uncle said. No further explanations. I had no idea who Embry Call was, but I nodded my head when Charlie grabbed his jacket.

"I will be back in a few hours. You can call me anytime if something's wrong," said Charlie. He then left the kitchen and went upstairs to get ready for work. I followed him upstairs and went to my room. Later that day I sat on the couch, reading a book, when I heard the front door slam. It could only be Bella or Charlie.

"You have to tell her the truth, love." I frowned when I heard Edward's voice.

"Why? She doesn't belong into our world." I shook my head. What were they talking about?

"Because she and Charlie are in danger. If you tell Charlie, she'll know anyway." I gasped. First she was talking about vampires with Jacob and now this? I hoped she wasn't talking about Greg because that wouldn't end well for all of us.

"Fine, but not today," said my cousin. She rushed into the living room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Bella, please. You promised me," said Edward but Bella ignored him.

"What did you hear? Do you know anything, Rileigh?" The touch of her hand send a shock- wave of fright through my body.

"No?" I said, almost slapping her hand away, but Edward beat me to it.

"Good. It better stays that way," said Bella. Her man send me a silent message that he was sorry before he guided her to stairs. I was really frustrated with my cousin and I had a headache that was making me cranky, but I would do anything to find out what she was hiding from me.

Soon the house was filled with loud moans of pleasure coming from upstairs. I pressed the small pillow to my ears, but it didn't make the noise disappear. The front door slammed open. Charlie was home.

"What are you doing?" There was a hint of amusement in his tired voice.

"What was that? Is Edward here?" I nodded twice.

"Wait here, kid. I'm going to kill him," said Charlie.

"Charlie, no. No, don't do that. Bella would never forgive you," I said.

"I just don't know what to do, Rileigh. I mean, I know that she will leave me soon, but I'm still her father that wants to protect her." I understood what he meant. It was the same with Ethan and me. He ran a finger through his thick hair, probably thinking of ways to end Edward Cullen. I stood up from the couch, grabbing my jacket.

"Let's get something to eat, okay." Charlie's eyes were on my face for second before he agreed. Everything was better than hearing my cousin pleasuring her man or whatever they were doing upstairs.


	5. Disturbing Behavior

**Don't worry. This is an Embry Call Fanfiction. Rileigh and him will meet in soon. I just love drama, so yeah. Deal with it. :P**

I woke up in cold sweat. My hands trembled, and my mind racing. I had seen him again. Greg. He wasn't a good person. Not at all. I knew that I shouldn't talk bad about someone, but this man wasn't even human. He killed everyone in his way, even his own son. Frank had only been six when Greg had his ways with him. His wife had found them in bed together and was about to call the police when Greg strangled the small body with his bare hands. His wife could flee, but at what costs? She hadn't just lost her son that night. No. She had lost her husband, too.

It was like fate had a twisted sense of humor, because that night we had seen Greg for the first time. His shirt had been covered with blood, and he was crying while sitting on a park bench in the middle of the night. We had no idea who that man was or what he had done. Ethan helped him to his feet, saying that everything would be okay. We told him our names, a great mistake. From this day on he had been everywhere. I had never told anyone about this, not even Ethan. He had no clue what Greg had done to me after my first party, and he never would. I shut my eyes when tears formed in my eyes. No, I shouln't think about that night. I put the warm blanket aside, leaving the bed. It was time to think about something else.

I went downstairs, still feeling kind of dizzy. It felt like my head would explode any minute. Why couldn't I be a normal teenager for once in my life? My face scrunched up in concentration as I came into the kitchen. Paul Lahote was sitting out the back porch, listing to something Charlie said to him.

"Hey, what is the meaning of this?" I asked, dropping my small bag on the kitchen table.

"Rileigh," said uncle Charlie. Paul's mouth was partly open as our eyes met.

"What's going on?"

"Paul here offered to drive you to school since Bella will drive with Edward."

"Really?"

"But I told him that I will drive you," said Charlie.

"Sir, I know that you don't like me much, but I would never hurt Rileigh."

"I think you should leave now, boy. School starts soon." The teenage boy sighed softly, struggling to push himself up off the ground.

"I guess I'll see you later," said Paul. My uncle glared at him, but he ignored him, only seeing me. We stayed silent, until he finally turned to leave. Charlie slammed the door behind him, turning to face me.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, no. It's just that boy. I don't know why, but he keeps coming back no matter what I say to him." He shook his head.

"I told you before that I've a bad feeling about this boy. "

"Me, too. But he hasn't done anything to me. You shouldn't be too hard on him," I said.

"You should get ready now. We'll leave in ten minutes." I nodded.

"Right." I grabbed my bag, heading for the front door. I didn't even notice when Charlie came to stand next to me until he spoke to me.

"Are you ready to go?" No words were said as I opened the passenger door. I felt cold shivers running down my spine as I stood in the school parking lot. Everything was so different from what I was used to.

"Hey, aren't you the new girl?" I turned around to face an Asian girl around my age.

"Yeah, how do you that?"

"Your cousin is Bella. Everybody knows," said the girl. I almost let out a snort. That was just fantastic. I didn't want to be knows as Bella's cousin.

"My name is Lane by the way. Lane Larson."

"Rileigh," I said.

"Do you want me to take you to the secretary's Office?" I nodded. She was nice enough. I took a deep breath before we headed for the school's entrance. A boy with blond hair stared at me when we walked down the school hallway. He was kind of cute.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"The one who's staring at you? That's Mike Newton. He has the biggest crush on Bella since he first saw her two years ago."

"Really?" This couldn't be true. Why would someone like him like her? He could have any girl so why Bella? She was pretty, I had to give her that, but she was downright rude.

"Yeah. It's a shame that she's with Cullen." I stopped dead in my tracks.

"You know Edward?"

"Everybody knows who the Cullens are," said teenage girl. Maybe Lane could tell me more about Edward Cullen and his family. There had to be other reasons why uncle Charlie didn't trust them. Lane opened a door and we stepped inside.

"Hello, Mrs. Jones. This is Rileigh. She's new here and wants to get her timetable." Mrs. Jones wore her grey hair up in a bun as she looked up at my face.

"Ah, the new girl. I've been expected you." I thanked her and left the office with Lane.

"What do you have first?" I handed Lane my timetable.

"Great. We've math together. Come on, I'll walk with you." I thanked her silently. Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all.

"So, where would you live before?" Lane asked when we walked down the school hallway.

"Seattle." Lane stared at me.

"Seattle? Really? Why would you move to Forks?"

"It's a long story," I said.

"I'm a good listener, so if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me," said Lane.

"Don't look behind you!" I had the sudden urge to turn around.

"Why?"

"Your cousin is staring at you as if she wants to bury you alive. Why is that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lane let out a soft laugh when she grabbed my arm.

"This won't end well," she said, glancing at something behind me.

"Don't worry. You can look now, Rileigh. She's found something way more interesting." It took me a moment to understand what she meant, and then I finally turned around. What was Jacob Black doing here? Did he have a death wish or something like that? He knew that Edward would be around, right? I moved closer to the scene.

"What are you doing?"

"Someone should do something," I said.

"Wait, you don't know who he is, Rileigh. Jacob Black is dangerous. Just like the rest of his good for nothing friends."

"I know who he is, Lane. And I'm not afraid of him. At least not now." I had no idea why I said that, but it felt good to be reckless just for once in my life. I had always been the good girl, but when I stepped closer to Jacob and Bella, I felt as if my heart would explode any minute.

"Come on, Bella. Just get your things and we're outta here," said Jacob.

"I can't, Jake. What about Edward? He would be mad at me. I can't risk that, okay."

"Fine, I know what he means to you, I get it. But we're talking about your safety right now."

"I perfectly fine on my own, thank you," said Bella. She closed the locker door after she had gotten the books she needed. Jacob stayed silent for a whole minute, but then he did something I was not okay with. He grabbed Bella's arm. I saw the pained look on her face. It was time to do something about this boy.

"Let go of her." Jacob turned to face me.

"You!"

"Yes, me. Would you kindly let go of Bella's arm? Thank you!"

"It's none of your damn business, little girl. Just go away and let me handle things you don't understand."

"Can't you see that you're hurting her?"

"What?" It was obvious that he was irritated by the look on his face. Slowly, he stared at my Cousin before letting go of her.

"Bella? I didn't mean it, I swear. Does it hurt?"

"It's fine, Jake. I know you didn't mean to hurt me," said Bella, looking at him.

"You should leave before Edward sees you," I said.

"Why are you even here, Rileigh? I didn't ask for your damn help."

"I was just being nice to you, Bella. But clearly, you wouldn't know the meaning of it." I shouldn't have get involved in their fight. I walked away without another word.

"Wow, that was awesome. Nobody has ever spoken to Bella like that," said Lane when I passed her. I, however, ignored her. There was a reason why I'd never had any friends before. Three hours went by. My fingers trailed down to the scar on my cheek as I stared at my reflection in the small mirror. It was lunchtime, and I was already hiding in the bathroom. Lane had found me ten minutes ago, but I'd told her that I didn't feel well. She had left witout another word, and for that I was thankful. They thought I didn't know, but I was aware that they were talking behind my back. I took a deep breath, finally ready to face the crowd. I grabbed my bag, taking one last look into mirror. I wouldn't call myself pretty, yet Ethan had always told me how beautiful I was. My face scrunched up in frustration. No, I wouldn't think about him right now. It took me another minute before I made my way towards the door, opening it, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a female voice.

"God, what are they doing here?"

"Don't know. But they're so hot, don't you think? Especially Embry Call."

"Really? You do know that he's blind, right?"

"Nah, he's not really blind, Jessica. He has this scar right above his left eye, but I was told that he's only half-blind."

"And that makes any difference to you?"

"Well, yeah. I can still see me when I kiss his sweet lips."

"Wait a second! You kissed him?"

"Not yet, but I'm working on it, Jess. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky today." The girl, Jessica, made a face before turning around. The other girl followed her. I then remembered what Charlie had told me the other day. Paul and his friends weren't students at Forks High as far as I knew. I was still confused when I walked down the school hallway, avoiding human contact.

"Why are they always arguing? I mean, look at them. They could be friends if they wouldn't hate each other so much." I knew that voice. It belonged to Angela Weber. She was in my history class and just as quiet as I was. However, I was surprised that Mike Newton stood beside her.

"In what world would Cullen and this dog ever be friends?"

"Mike has a point, Ang. Sorry, but I could never see these two being friends. I mean, they're barely civil to each other." My eyes became wide when I heard that deep voice. I would never forget Eric Yorkie even if I wanted to. He had scared me on my first day back in Forks.

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" They all gazed at Lane, but it was Angela who found her voice first.

"Lane?" I stared at my hands, careful not to bump into anyone.

"You think you're so special, don't you, Cullen? But I am telling you know that you're nothing but trouble. The dirt under my shoes is worth more than your life." Jacob Black and Edward stood in the school hallway. Students had gathered around. I had no idea what was going on, but I listened to their argument.

"Don't start a fight you can't win, Jacob." My heart was beating fast against my chest as soon as I heard Edward's velvet voice.

"Stop telling me what to do. I am not part of your family. You can't manipulate me, Cullen. " Bella grabbed Jacob's hand.

"Jake, you're making a scene."

"Oh, so now it's all my fault?" His face came dangerously close to hers.

"Tell me, Bella. Is it my fault, that you're not safe anymore?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean. Tell me that you don't wanna marry him and that you're not some cheap whore! Tell me now or you will never see me again." That was a low blow, even for someone like Jacob Black. I couldn't listen to this nonsense anymore. Slowly, I got up from the chair, heading towards them.

"Stop it. Please!" I didn't know what I was doing, and then I felt something hit my face. A few students gasped loudly before I realized what had happened. Jacob Black had smashed his fist into my face.

"Are you crazy? You hit her, man. Do you know what that means?" I looked up, meeting Paul's concerned look.

"I didn't mean to hit her. I swear." I could hear the tiredness in Jacob's voice.

"Hey, Rileigh. Are you alright?"

"Just let it go, Paul. She's fine," said my dear cousin. Paul then raised his voice at her.

"Don't you see that she's hurt?" He was right, of course. I felt a sharp stabbing pain in my nose, and then I saw the blood on my hand.

"Good job, man. She's bleeding," Paul came closer to me, reaching out a long arm and drew me in, holding me close against him.

"Come on, little one. I will take you to the nurse before I do something I might regret." He shot Jacob an enraged glare.

"Brady, get her things. We're leaving." Brady grabbed my bag with a deep frown on his face. It was more than obvious that he was just as irritated as I was. I felt Paul's gaze on my face.

"What?" I asked, trying to sound calm.

"That scar on your cheek. Where would you get it?"

"Stay away from me and my family." I turned to grab my bag from Brady's hand. Before I could walk away, I heard Paul's voice again.

"Rileigh, wait! Why would you say that? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's complicated. Just, just stay out of my way, okay," I said. I then turned on my heel, leaving him behind. I didn't see him the rest of the morning.


	6. Embry

My hands were shaking when I walked down the beach. I feld a cold air sensation when I inhaled and wrapped my arms around myself. I should've stayed at home, but Bella had made it pretty clear that she didn't want to see me. She thought it was my fault that Jacob didn't want to talk to her. My caught when I heard a familiar voice calling out to me.

"Now, now. What's a girl like you doing all alone on the beach?"

"Jack." It was him. I couldn't believe that he was really there. Standing in front of me with his infamous smirk. I hadn't seen this man in weeks. I couldn't move for a second when he stared at me with this murderous glint in his eyes. He looked the same. He was a balding man in his late 30s. His dark clothing was simple and unadorned but obviously expensive.

"You should know what could happen to pretty little things like you, Rileigh. Especially one with a big mouth like yours. Greg will be pleased that I've finally found -" Hayden Jackson's voice cut off in a gurgle and he staggered .

"Now, where that brother of yours?" His deep voice send hot shivers through my body. No, this wasn't real. I didn't care where I was going. I just needed to escape him. I ran. It was the only thing that came to my mind to do.

I saw Paul and his friends in the distance. Great. Exactly what I needed in a situation like this. They were all shirtless and hadn't noticed me yet. I looked over my shoulder. Jack was behind me, and I kept running until I bumped into something hard. I almost fell flat to my face, but I regained my balance. I began to experience a burning sensation throughout my body along with tingling in my arm. I gasped slightly as my eyes travelled down a broad muscular chest.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," I said. I knew that Jack would find me anyway, but I had to try. Soon Paul came running towards us.

"Rileigh? What the hell happened to you?" he asked. The stranger was still holding my arm. I tried to get away, but he held onto me tightly.

"I know that you don't want anything to do with me, but please. Let me help you, okay," said Paul.

"Jacob shouldn't have hit you." A low growl left the stranger's lips. It sounded a lot like a wild animal. Of course, it was bad that Jacob had hit me and anyone would be mad.

"What the- What are you doing, man?" Paul was furious as far as I could tell. Of course, I hadn't looked at him yet, but the angry tone in his voice pretty much gave him away. I struggled in the arms of the mystery guy, and then I heard his voice for the first time.

"Hey, it's alright. You're safe." He didn't meet my eyes. Instead his eyes fluttered shut.

"Who are you?" asked the stranger.

"I'm nobody. I'm sorry that I bumped into you," I said, finally able to get rid of his grips on me.

"Wait! Where are you going?" asked Paul.

"I need to leave," was my reply. They didn't need to know about Jack. I hid my face behind the dark hood as I looked around. He wasn't there. A sigh of relief left my lips. I was safe for now, but I needed to contact Ethan to let him know that Jack had found me.

"Did something happen? Tell me, Rileigh. We'll help you," said Paul.

"I told you to stay away from me." I turned away from them.

"Babe? What are you doing? Who is this?" A tall blonde teen girl came towards us. She was petite, and she flaunted her tanned legs in tiny shorts.

"Her name is Rileigh," said Paul while his friend opened his eyes.

"Okay, then. What is Rileigh doing with my boyfriend?" Her cheeks were flushed, her expression angry when she stared at me. I knew that Paul wasn't her boyfriend, so the guy without a name was her man. I closed my eyes. Of course someone like him had a girlfriend.

"I was just leaving. Don't mind me." I tried to walk away, but my arm was grabbed yet again.

"Who was this guy? Did he do something to you?" Paul asked. My eyes got wide. He had seen Jack? That wasn't good at all. Nobody could know about him. Not even Charlie or Bella.

"He's friends with my brother," I replied.

"Are you sure about that? It didn't look like you were very fond of him?" Paul let go of me as I nodded my head.

"Babe, I'm cold. Let's go to your house," said the teenage girl. I still had no idea who this guy was. She tried to kiss his mouth, but he turned away at the last second.

"Nicole, could you let go of Embry for just a second?" The annoying tone in Paul's voice was obvious. My breath caught in my throat. So this was Embry? I should've known. No surprise that all the girls were talking about him. He really looked nice despite of the scar above his left eye. If people were telling the truth he was half-blind. A thought struck me. Did he think I would make fun of him if he looked in my face? I wasn't that kind of girl, but he didn't know that.

"Let's go." Embry intertwined his fingers with hers and left with his girl. I stared after them. My head was pounding, and I just wanted to leave this place, but Paul wouldn't stop asking questions about Jack.

"So, are you going to tell me who that man was?"

"I already told you who he is," I said.

"You're lying. Your heartbeat is uneven."

"I need to go. It was nice meeting you again." Paul chuckled.

"There you go again. You're lying again," he said, coming dagerously close to my face. His breath tickled against my cheek, and I gulped hard when he licked his lips. I didn't care that he knew that I was lying in his face, but I wondered how he knew that my heart was beating to fast? As fast as I could I backed away from him. He and his friends were dangerous, that much was clear now, and I had no idea that everything would be changing soon.

"Rileigh? Is that you?" The deep voice of Charlie echoed through the house as I slammed the frontdoor hard behind me.

"What happened? You look so sad?" I asked when I came into the living room.

"Didn't you hear what happened? It was all over the news." I shook my head while staring at my cousin. I had not the slightest idea what she was talking about. Charlie cleared his throat.

"There was a fire at your school."

"How bad is it?" I asked.

"It's bad, kiddo. Quentin Sanders is dead. They couldn't save him. Other than that nobody was hurt," said Charlie. I gasped. No, He couldn't be dead. He was a good man in his early 30s with a wife and two children. I had seen him a few hours before, but now he was gone.

"That's good," said Bella.

"No. it's not. Don't you understand that somebody died?" I didn't hide my anger and disappointment anymore.

"Calm down, kids. No fights in my house, okay." Charlie walked around the living room, running a hand through his hair. He was nervous about something, I just didn't know what it could be.

"Oh, before I forget to tell you. The school is closed for a few weeks, maybe even months."

"What will happen now?" I asked.

"Principal Hollis has already a plan. Some students will attend the school in La Push. The other students will go to a public school not far from Forks." Charlie stopped in his tracks before he grabbed a sheet of paper, handing it to me.

"Here's the list with your name on it." My eyes scanned the paper down and I saw the school's name.

"You're lucky that Bella is with you. I don't trust these kids in La Push. You better stay with Bella and Jacob." I glared at the sheet in my hands. I couldn't believe my luck. I would be going to La Push High School. My cousin's face held no emotion as she stared at me. This should be fun.

"Well, I gotta go to work now. I will see you later," said Charlie. Bella and I nodded slowly. He shot me a guilty look before leaving the room. Later that day I heard the front door closing softly. I put the history book on the table, leaving the bed.

"Alice saw what happened." I caught my breath when I heard his deep voice. Edward was back. Carefully, I headed towards the stairs.

"You knew this would happen?" asked Bella. Her fiancé nodded carefully.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you, love. We tried to prevent it, but it was too late," said Edward. I could see the regret shining in his eyes.

"What do we do now?"

"You know I can't protect you in La Push," he said.

"That's why I'm here. I have a proposition for you. Go to the same School with me," he said.

"You mean Santa Bay? No, Charlie would never allow it, Edward."

"It will be a lot saver for you," said the teenage boy.

"Something happened. Tell me what it is?" asked my cousin.

"We believe that Victoria is back in town and that she's behind the fire."

"How? I mean, how do you know it?"

"Alice didn't see her, but a young man that works for her." Bella stared at him for a moment.

"I'll talk to Charlie." Edward leaned in to kiss her mouth.

"I'm glad, love. I'll see you later. Then you can tell me your decision." He turned on his heel, leaving my cousin alone in the living room. I tiptoed to the guest room, still thinking about what Edward had said. Who was Victoria?

 ** **So, Embry didn't imprint, yet. What do you think will happen next?****


	7. La Push High

The next morning startet off eventful. The loud voice of uncle Charlie woke me up. Slowly, I put the warm blanket aside and headed downstairs in my pyjama.

"This is not up for discussion, Bella. You'll go to La Push with Rileigh."

"But dad. You don't understand. Edward's not going to be there."

"Yeah? Well, that's just too bad for him," said Charlie.

"Please, just let me go with Edward," said Bella.

"I said enough. Jacob will be here any minute to pick you up."

"Fine." Bella's tone tripped with sarcasm. She then saw me standing right behind her. She glared at me before slamming into my shoulder while walking outside. Charlie sighed when he noticed my presence.

"How much did you hear, kid?" he asked.

"Pretty much everything," I said while grabbing a cup from the table.

"Don't worry. She'll calm down in time," said Charlie. I nodded my head. I really hoped so. I didn't want to get into another fight with her. I already had enough to worry about.

"Hey, you don't mind that Jacob will drive you to school, right?" I shook my head even though I had a bad feeling about this kid.

"Good. For a second I felt guilty for leaving you alone with Bella and him." Charlie grabbed his jacket.

"You don't have to worry about us, Charlie. Everything will work out."

"Right. You know, Bella was once like you. Full of life. But this person is long gone."

"What happened to her?" I asked.

"You remember when I told you that Edward left her for a few months?" I nodded.

"That's when it started. I don't really blame her. It's that Cullen kid. It's all his fault. They should've never met each other. Maybe things would be different then." My eyes fluttered shut. Of course he would say this, and I knew better than disagree with him.

"Anyway, you should get dressed. Jacob's going to be here any minute, kid." Charlie then left left the kitchen, leaving me all alone.

"Can you please calm down. Rileigh is in the kitchen and Charlie's still upstairs to get ready for work."

"You're kidding, right? I won't calm down, okay." I closed my eyes when I heard Jacob's voice.

"Please, do it for me, Jake. I know that you don't like the arrangement."

"Don't like it? I hate it, Bella."

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" I asked when I joined them in the living room.

"Nothing that concerns you, girl. I will be waiting at my car for you," said Jacob.

"Why would you do that? I was talking to my friend and you interrupted us."

"It wasn't my Intention," I said.

"Nothing you do is ever your fault, right?" Bella said, turning to grab her bag.

"You better hurry up. I don't want to be late because of you." She slammed the front door behind her. I sighed. This was going to be a very long day.

My hands were shaking as I let my eyes wander around the parking lot. La Push High was nothing like Forks High School. The school building was a whole lot smaller and there weren't as many students as in Forks. Bella and Jacob were long gone, and to be honest, I didn't mind. They had argued the whole time and I was sick of hearing Bella's complains.

"Leigh?" My whole body shivered. There was only one person who had ever called me by this name, but Ethan wasn't around.

"Paul, what are you doing?"

"Obviously I'm waiting for a pretty girl to make a up her mind," he said.

"Are you going to class or should we skip? I wouldn't mind in the least, you know."

"I'm not skipping class," I said.

"Good. Let's go then. The others should be waiting for us," said Paul. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"The others?"

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind. Quil, Embry and Seth will be joining us." He raised an eyebrow when he saw my shocked expression.

"Hey, don't worry about it. They're cool as long as you're not like your dear cousin." He chuckled while I stared at his face. There was no denying the fact that Paul was good-looking. He had grown a 3 day beard, which emphasized the attractive features of his face. I had no idea why he would think for one second that I was anything like Bella. I would never be like her. I shook my head.

"Let's go, Leigh. You don't mind me calling you by that name, right?" I was taken aback for a second. Did I mind? No, not really. Paul placed his large hand on my arm and lead me towards the entrance. Within seconds we wandered down the school hallway. Everybody was staring at us. My eyes fluttered shut for a moment. I wasn't used to this kind of attention.

"You need your timetable, right?" I nodded. He then said that he would take me to the secretariat.

"Hey, Lahote. Who's your friend?" A pretty blonde girl walked up to Paul.

"None of your business, Emma."

"Come on, don't be like that, Paul." She tried to touch his cheek, but he grabbed her hand rather roughly.

"I told you last week and I will tell you again. Stay the hell away from me and my friends. Rileigh is none of your business."

"So her name is Rileigh? Pretty name for a slut like her." The girl laughed in my face. If only she knew the truth. Paul's body shook when he faced her.

"What did you just say, Kinowa?"

"Nothing," said the girl. I almost felt bad for her. Almost.

"That's what I thought. Now, move along." Paul didn't give her a second glance as she stormed off. Well, that was awkward.

"I'm sorry about her. I thought she would know by now that she doesn't mean anything to me anymore." I should've known that he had hooked up with her. I looked into his eyes.

"You don't have to apologize. Just show me where the secretariat is, okay."

"Right. Let's go then." He didn't force conversation, and for that I was thankful.

"Am I going to see you at lunch?" Paul's deep voice startled me when I left the office. I hadn't expected that he would be waiting for me. Not after the way I had treated him.

"I don't know, Paul. Bella might want to talk to me. I'm not sure if I will be able to meet your friends." I saw the look in his eyes. He didn't believe me.

"Right. If you change your mind you know where to find me." He nodded twice, staring at my face. His eyes bore into mine as if he was searching for something, anything, but my face give away nothing.

"See you around, Leigh." I shook my head when he finally looked away. He had a slight smile on his face. I laughed when he turned towards me one more time, walking backwards before making his way through the crowd. I would never say it aloud, but Paul was kind of cute. I would never date him, of course. Chances are I would be leaving Forks soon, and I didn't want to get involved with someone. Bella and her boyfriend caused enough trouble and Jacob Black made things even worse. I shook my head, walking to my locker. The whispering did nothing for me, and I ignored the odd looks I got when I opened the looker door to put my books away. Two teenage girls passed me. They were pretty, both tall with dark wavy hair and tanned skin.

"Do you really think he fucks her, Susan? I mean, look at her. She's not even that pretty. Her cousin is way prettier and she got Jacob Black and Quil."

"I think she's a slut. Just like her cousin." I slammed my locker door shut.

"Shit, I think she heard. Let's go," said the same female voice. I was so tired of this. They were all the same. Without sparing them another glance, I headed to class. I had heard enough. I balled my hands into fist, wiping a tear I didn't know had fallen. I had promised myself that I would never let them get to me, but it was harder than expected. I drew in a sharp breath, letting out a humorless laugh when I reached the classroom. With shaking hands, I opened the door.

"You're late." I stopped dead in my tracks. That voice. I knew that voice. Cold fear shot through my veins, and my mouth parted slightly. My chest deflated and I suffocated in my terror and panic when I met his dark eyes. I took a moment to examine him as a cocky smirk plastered on his face. My lip quivered and a sob threatened to choke off my voice when I said his name.

"Jack." I couldn't move my feet, couldn't breathe. I stared at him for the longest time before he cleared his throat. Everybody kept looking at me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Now, now. Is that any way to talk to your teacher?" My eyes got wide.

"Teacher?"

"You got that right, Miss. Would you mind taking a seat and let me do my job?" I didn't answer. Instead I was frozen in place.

"Just sit down, Rileigh." Jack turned to face my cousin.

"Did I tell you to speak, Miss Swan?" Bella shook her head. Jack turned to me once again.

"As for you. Sit down, and keep your mouth shut." A loud gasp from me echoed through the room. I would never submit to him. I stared into his eyes, daring him to do something in front of twenty students.

"No!"

"Why, that's a shame, girl." The sarcasm in his voice was evident.

"I think detention after school would do you some good, don't you think?" Jack headed towards me with a smirk while I backed away from him. It was hard to believe that he was a teacher at La Push High. Did he kill someone to get the job? As far as I know he was an alcolic. He worked for Greg, dealing drugs.

"You will see me after school. I think we need to talk about that big mouth of yours." I took another step back until I had reached the door. Bella kept looking at me as if I had lost my mind, but she had no clue who this man was. I did the only logical thing. I left the room in a hurry. I had to call my brother. Ethan would know what to do about Jack.

My shoes squeaked on the hard floor as I walked down the empty school hallway. My mind was racing. Should I leave school? What about Charlie? Would he notice that something was wrong with me? I couldn't tell him about Jack and Greg because it would put him in danger. It was bad enough that Ethan wasn't with me. I didn't want to lose Charlie, too. My uncle wasn't useless, and he could arrest Greg for what he had done, but this man had a whole gang behind him that wouldn't mind killing me and my family.

My face scrunched up in frustration. What was going to happen now? I let out an angry sigh, closing my eyes. I could do this. When I opened my eyes, I had the strength to call Ethan. My phone call went straight to voicemail.

"Ethan, it's me. You need to come to Forks as soon as possible. Jack is here, okay. He's found me and I'm sure Greg will be here soon enough. Please, just come and get me. I need you. Talk to you soon, bro." I ended the call with a deep sigh. I wouldn't stay another minute in this building.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I turned to see a familiar face.

"You're Brady." A glimmer of recognition flickering across his face.

"Yeah, that would be me. Anyway, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class right now or something?" He moved towards me so quickly that for the moment I feared that he was about to hit me.

"Tell me, did something happen?" he asked, his voice deep and gravelly. I said no, but he wouldn't let it go.

"You know you can tell me, right?"

"There's nothing to tell, okay."

"Right. So you calling your brother begging for his help was nothing?"

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing. It was nothing." He scrached his neck. An awkward pause followed before I raised my voice at him.

"How much did you hear?"

"I heard everything."

"How? I didn't see you. Do you have superhuman hearing?" A laugh escaped me.

"Something like that. Listen, I gotta go now."

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"I've something important to do. See you around, Rileigh." He was gone before I could respond to him. This kid had all kinds of strange shit going on just like me. I took a deep breath, heading to the entrance when I noticed another familiar face. Embry Call leaned against a locker, his eyes closed. My stomach hurt when I looked at his face. It wasn't the first time that I had this weird feeling around him. I approached him silently, hoping that he wouldn't turn away from me.

"It's you," he said as his eyes fluttered open. Just as we were about to make eye contact for the first time, an irritated voice interrupted us.

"Leigh?" I wanted to look at Paul, but I couldn't. Not when I saw Jack walking up behind him.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here, Mr. Lahote? Wasn't it enough that you and Mr. Call were late to class yesterday?" Jack turned to me.

"I'll see you all in detention, is that clear?"

"No!"

"Rileigh, don't!" I ignored Paul's curious look when I walked away. There was no way in hell I was going to be in the same room as Jack. I just had to figure out what to do next. The school day ended quickly. My eyes were swollen when I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I hated that I wasn't strong enough to face Jack. I hated that he was in Forks. I had another ten minutes before detention would start, and I was having a mental breakdown. I didn't want to go, but I had to since I didn't want to draw attention to me. With shaky hands, I left the bathroom and went to meet Embry and Paul at detention. Jack was already in the room when I arrived.

"About time you show up, Miss McCall. We were waiting for you." I sat next to Embry.

"Now, where is that friend of yours? Where is Paul Lahote?"

"He's ill, sir," said Embry.

"Feeling sick when he should be in detention? That's just too bad." Jack walked around the tiny room.

"You will be here for two hours while I go to my favorite coffee shop. This night will be interesting." Embry narrowed his eyes at him. He muttered something like, "What the hell is this guy talking about?". I, on the other hand, held my breath. What if Jack was going after me and my family tonight?

"If you're not here when I'm back, you'll face serious consequenses." Jack glared at me. He slammed the door behind him when he left. Ten minutes went by before the door opened again. Paul walked inside. I stared at him. Didn't Embry say that he was ill?

"Hey."

"Hi," I said.

"How long has he been asleep?" Paul glanced at Embry.

"Let me guess. He hasn't moved since detention started, right?" I nodded. There was no use to deny the obvious.

"Hey, Call. Move your ass." Embry stirred in his sleep. Paul walked up behind him and slapped him.

"Wake up, Call." Embry's eyes opened and for the first time I could see his dark brown eyes. A rush of cool air hit me.

"Fuck!" Paul's booming voice echoed through the classroom.

"Tell me you didn't." Embry didn't say a word. Instead he kept his gaze on my face.

"You fucking bastard. You know that I like her." Paul didn't hesitate. He jumped on Embry, hitting him straight in the face.

"I don't want her."

"Fucking liar. I saw the look in your eyes. You fucking imprinted on her, did you?" I stood frozen in place as I had no idea why they were fighting or what imprinting was.

"You'll stay away from her, do you hear me. She's not like Nicole, okay." Paul stood, never looking at me. He held out his hand towards Embry to help him to his feet. Paul glared at his friend from the corner of his eyes.

"You still have to talk to Sam." Embry nodded his head, leaving me confused and utterly bewildered. He then stared at me. The whole world shifted around us. Nothing mattered anymore. Not Jack. Not Greg. Nothing. I couldn't take my eyes off him. I never noticed that Paul had left until I heard a loud bang. Embry opened his mouth to say something, but then decided otherwise. I headed towards my seat and grabbed my bag. I needed to leave before I would do something I would regret later. Embry didn't move when the door opened.

"What do you think you're doing, Miss McCall?" I closed my eyes. Jack was back.

"It was me, sir. I wanted to leave, but she stopped me."

"Is that so?" I couldn't move. Why would Embry take the blame? It was all my fault. I wanted to leave. Not him.

"Well, you can go now. Mr. Call, you'll have detention with me for the next two months." My jaw dropped. He couldn't do this. It wasn't fair. Jack smirked at me.

"Are you going to say something or are you just going to stare at me all day, Miss McCall?" I shook my head.

"Good. Now, leave. You wouldn't want to be late." Embry didn't look at me when we left the classroom. Just as I was about to thank him, he walked away from me.

"Rileigh, wait up!"

"What do you want?" I asked, turning to face Brady.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" He seemed irritated.

"Nothing. It's nothing."

"I just came to say hi," said Brady.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Wait. You can ask me anything."

"What's the deal between Paul and Embry Call?"

"Hell if I know," said the teenage boy, obviously lying to my face. I was sure that he knew something.

"Listen, I will see you around, Rileigh." Brady didn't wait for me to say something. He just disappeared into the woods.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for Bella and Jacob?"

"No, you're not. Come on, I'll give you a ride home." My mind went blank.

"Please, just get into my car. I had a bad day," said Paul, walking towards an blue Jeep.

"You coming or what?" The idea was tempting, but Charlie wouldn't like I was spending time with Paul. He had already taken out his car keys, leaning against the Jeep. I sighed deeply. This wouldn't end well, but nobody would find out about my weird sort of friendship with Paul. Finally, after five minutes, I headed in his direction. His cheeky smile disappeared when he opened the car door for me.

"Don't mind the chaos," said Paul as soon as he sat beside me. The smell of peppermint and beer lingered in the air.

"What do you think about Call?"

"Embry?" My eyes became wide. Why would he ask that kind of question?

"Yeah, do you like him?" I let out a small laugh while Paul looked utterly lost.

"Why are you laughing?" He got more frustrated when I stopped laughing.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" His gaze lingered a little too long on my lips.

"Can I kiss you?" His deep voice was bearly above a whisper. No boy or man had ever wanted to kiss me and now was a really bad time to think about kissing boys. I still needed to figure out what to do about Jack.

"I'm going to kiss you now so if you don't want this, you better say it now." Just as his sweet lips were about to touch mine, something crashed into his car. At first I was startled, but when I looked at Paul I saw an emotion I had never seen before on his face. Regret. His eyes were closed when he finally found his voice again.

"Are you hurt?" I shook my head.

"Good. Now, let me take you home." He stared at me for a another moment before starting the engine. My heart was beating fast against my chest when Paul stopped the car in front of Charlie's house. I opened the door, but Paul grabbed my arm.

"Wait," he said.

"I don't know what came over me. I mean, I almost kissed you. I'm an idiot." He took a deep breath.

"You can stop me anytime, you know. Cause this is really awkward." He let out a chuckle.

"Just be sure that I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

"Okay."

"Good. Now, you should probably head inside. Your uncle keeps staring at us." He pointed at the kitchen window. I was confused for a second. Shouldn't Charlie be at work?

"Right. Thanks for the ride." He was sending some hearty laughter my way when I left the car. I didn't want to be alone right now, but I knew that my friendship with Paul wouldn't end well. My hands were shaking when I opened the front door. I half expected to see Charlie when I stepped inside the living room, but I was in for a surprise. My fear of him consumed me. Why didn't I see that coming?

"Jack." I backed away from him.

"Now, now. Why would you want to leave so soon? I'm here to do what I should have done when I first saw you." He pushed me up against the wall.

"You know, Greg wants to kill you quickly, but I would never do that." He put a gun to my head.

"I will show you what I would do to you before blowing your brains out." I let out a muffled scream. A sob escaped me when I looked into his eyes, and then I slapped him.

"Rileigh, open the door." I turned to face the door when I heard Paul's voice.

"Ah, I see. Your little boyfriend is here to save your pretty ass. Let's see if he is man enough to fight me, shall we?" Jack wiped the blood of his lip, letting go of my arm when the front door was broken down.

"Get the hell away from her you sick bastard." My eyes were closed when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, telling me that Jack was gone.

"What the hell was that idiot teacher doing here?" I couldn't move. He shouldn't see me like that. Broken and confused.

"You have a lot of explaining to do. Starting right now." He was beyond furious.

"I don't know why he was here."

"Another lie." He looked me in the eyes.

"Why won't you tell me the truth?"

"There's nothing to tell."

"Don't play games with me. That man hurt you and I want to know why?" Paul grabbed my arm. I swallowed hard when our eyes met.

"Hands off, boy!" Charlie walked around the living room. He was pale, his face set in tight lines. Paul let out a laugh.

"Does he know something?" he asked. I closed my eyes.

"That's what I thought. If you're ready to tell me the truth, you know where to find me." Finally, he let go of my arm. When I opened my eyes, he was gone.

"Do you want to explain yourself?"

"Not now, Charlie." It was wrong to let out my anger, but right then all I could think of was Paul Lahote's disappointed face.


	8. Midnight Encounter

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It was almost midnight when I woke up in cold sweat. I had dreamed about Greg again. Everything felt different now that I knew that he might come to Forks in a matter of days. Ethan hadn't called me back, and I was on the verge of breaking down. Jack had already found me, so it wouldn't take Greg long to find me, too. Paul had been right. I should be talking to someone about Greg, but I couldn't risk the safety of my family. I let my eyes flutter open. Maybe it would be for the best if I left Forks to join Ethan. He would protect me with his life. I sighed softly to myself. I should be talking to Charlie in the morning and explain everythin to him. I would just leave out the fact that Greg wanted us gone.

I put the blanket aside and left the bed. I tiptoed to the door, opening it slowly. I didn't want to wake Charlie or my dear cousin.

"What do you want me to say, Bella?" I heard Jacob's deep voice when I passed her room. Of course, her door was open again. I shouldn't listen to their conversation, but maybe I would find out why Jacob Black disliked me.

"I want you tell me that everything is going to be alright."

"You know that I don't like lying to you," said Jacob.

"It's time you tell Charlie what's happening in Forks. Just don't tell him what you know about me." Bella stared at him.

"It's not the right time, Jake. I need to talk to Edward and Alice. Maybe they can help us."

"Please, listen to me. I know you think that you're in love with him, but you're not. It's all his fault."

"Don't talk about him like that," said Bella.

"Why not? We both know that it's true. Everybody can see it. He controls your life, Bella." My cousin turned away from him with a frown.

"I can protect you," said Jacob.

"I can even protect your family if this is what you want, but please don't marry him."

"I love Edward."

"No, you just love the idea of him and you together." Jacob closed his eyes.

"He's a vampire, Bells. Is that what you want? A life with a man who had killed people?" My eyes got wide. Edward had killed someone?

"Don't worry about me. I will be like him after the wedding."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"No, what does that mean, Bella?"

"Edward's going to turn me in a few months."

"No, just no. You can't be like him. I won't allow it."

"You won't allow it? It's my decision, Jake. I want him." Jacob growled when she said that. I sighed. It was time to leave.

"How long have you been standing there?" Jacob stood when he noticed me.

"Answer me!" I backed away from him.

"This is just great. I assume you heard everything?" I didn't answer.

"I might as well tell her."

"Jake, don't. She's nothing like me."

"I know that, Bella. But she heard us. Sam will kill me anyway, so it won't matter if she knows." Bella laid a hand on his shoulder, but he ignored her silent plea.

"Here it goes. I will only say this once, so listen well, little girl." He breathed deeply.

"I'm a shapeshifter." I backed away from him.

"Jake, don't say another word," said Bella.

"Why not? She has the right to know." In that moment I was tired of everything. Why couldn't they just say what they had to say and leave me alone. I arched my eyebrow.

"What's a shapeshifter?" Jacob chuckled to himself while Bella shook her head.

"You should leave now, Bella's cousin. It was a mistake to say anything to you." I glanced at Bella. Nothing. She said nothing. I wasn't surprised though. She would never help me. I kept my eyes on the ground as I turned to leave when I heard Jacob's hard voice once again.

"Oh, and don't even try to tell anyone about this. Nobody would believe you anyway." I said nothing. Instead I just nodded and left. Weird things were happening in Forks and La Push and I was going to find out what Jacob and Bella were hiding sooner or later. One small mistake and it would all be over.


	9. Nobody wants you here

My eyes were puffy when I entered the kitchen in the morning. I had been up all night, trying to reach Ethan, but he still hadn't picked up his phone. I would never say it aloud, but I was starting to freak out.

"Hey, what's up with you?"

"I didn't sleep well, Charlie. Don't worry about it."

"Bad dream? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No, I would rather not. But thanks for your concern, Charlie."

"I will always worry about you. The same goes for Bella. You haven't seen her, have you?"

"No."

"Alright. I'm off to work now. Behave and please, tell Bella that I need to talk to her when you see her."

"I will, Charlie."

"Good. I will see you later, kiddo." Charlie grabbed his jacket before leaving me on my own.

"I hope you didn't say anything to Dad." I turned to see Bella staring at me. I gulped hard. What had I done now?

"Listen, about yesterday. Jake was only kidding. He's really bad at making jokes."

"I don't understand anything of this, Bella."

"And you shouldn't. You don't belong in our world, Rileigh." I couldn't help but notice her blush.

"Jacob will pick me up for school." I grabbed my bag from the chair, ready to leave, but Bella stopped me.

"No, Jacob won't give you a ride to school."

"Why?"

"Do you honestly have to ask?" I couldn't say a word. What was she playing at now?

"Listen, I'm sorry about this, really. I'm going now and you should, too, if you don't want to be late for school." She was about to leave, but I stopped her.

"Wait a minute. I don't have a car."

"Not my problem. You shouldn't have come to Forks, Rileigh. Nobody wants you here." The truth was that I already knew that nobody would ever want me in Forks. I nodded. Tears raced down my cheek when my cousin left. I needed a plan. Soon. I put on a face smile when I stared out the kitchen window. Jacob had just arrived. He gave her a cheesy smile when he saw Bella. I wanted to shout at them, but it wouldn't change anything. They would still hate me. I waited until they had left before I went outside. Even though I was disappointed and mad, I didn't slam the door. Instead I kept staring at it with narrowed eyes.

"If you stare at that door any longer it will break down."

"Paul, what are you doing here?"

"It's always nice to see a pretty girl in the morning."

"No, really? Why are you at Charlie's house at 6 am?"

"I knew Jake wouldn't drive you today. I just thought you need a ride to school."

"How did you know he wouldn't give me lift?"

"Let's just say he was furious when he left this morning, cutie. I just knew that he wouldn't drive you to school." I swallowed hard when I noticed that he wasn't alone. I could only see his back, but I was sure that I had seen him before. Paul followed my gaze and let out a deep sigh.

"Who's with you?"

"Just Embry. You can ignore him if you must. Most of the time he won't say a word anyway." Paul chuckled to himself, but I could see that his smile didn't reach his eyes. Clearly, something was wrong. We went to his car in silence.

"Hello." My voice quivered. The teenage boy greeted me with a cold smile. Not a word came out of Embry's mouth.

"Right. Let's go then," said Paul, opening the passenger door for me. I thanked him with a smile. Embry Call was a mystery to me. He kept staring at me while playing the jacket zipper when Paul finally started the engine. What was his problem? Maybe he hated me? But then, I hadn't done anything to him, right? I stared back at him with a deep frown on my face when our eyes met. There was this feeling again. The feeling I couldn't explain even if I wanted to _._ I had this weird tingling all over my body as soon as he broke eye contact with me. This was going to be a long day.

"Sooo, what are you doing after school?" Paul's voice so soft as if he didn't want to scare me.

"Rileigh?" He then looked at me.

"Oh, yeah. I don't know yet. Why?"

"Do you wanna come and meet the boys?"

"Meet the boys?" I had no idea if I wanted to meet Jacob again.

"Don't worry. Jake and your dear cousin won't be there. It will just be Brady, me and some other guys you haven't met yet." I was ready to answer his question when someone spoke before me.

"She can't." I turned around to face Embry.

"I'm sorry?" Embry didn't look at me when he said his next words.

"She can't come, Paul." There was a gleam in his hate filled eyes as soon as he had said those words. I deepened my breathing, still not ready to turn away from him.

"Right. You know what. He's right. I promised Charlie that I would help him with something. Maybe some other time."

"Yeah, maybe some other time." Paul's hand tightened around the steering wheel and I knew without a doubt that there were a lot of things he was hiding from me.


End file.
